AIM Tourney????

[LakeWoodLady]

Originally Posted by I Walleye

Hot off the press at the NPAA conference, AIM will be at Lake of the Woods August 16,17 & 18. It will be out of Baudette. Also announced is that is a two year deal. They will also be on Green Bay but did not mention the city or date.

We're very excited we got a two year agreement bringing AIM to the area! We are also planning a weekend worth of events around the tournament as well, offering as much as we can to the pro's and co's that fish this tournament. Any suggestions on what you all might be interested in seeing or doing surrounding the tournament?

[Gary Parsons]

I'm really excited to come to this event! After shooting a Next Bite show on LOW last August and sampling just how good the August fishing is, I can't believe that there hasn't been events on the Lake every year! There will be big fish and lot's of them! I for one would like to see either a fish fry, brat fry, or both during the weigh in's on one of the first two days of the event...a tent set up like Mercury has at their Otter Street event.

[LakeWoodLady]

Originally Posted by Gary Parsons

I'm really excited to come to this event! After shooting a Next Bite show on LOW last August and sampling just how good the August fishing is, I can't believe that there hasn't been events on the Lake every year! There will be big fish and lot's of them! I for one would like to see either a fish fry, brat fry, or both during the weigh in's on one of the first two days of the event...a tent set up like Mercury has at their Otter Street event.

Thanks Gary! We were thinking that'd be a good idea, too!

[I Walleye]

Food and beverage specials for the week leading up to the tournament are always a big hit. "Tournament friendly" resorts should be chiming in with what they can do to attract the out of town customer during this time. There are lots of resorts to choose from in that area, it would be nice to spend the money at those resorts that want us there.

[GiddyGills]

The chamber is supported by collected money from every resort through room tax which in turn is paying the tournament to come to town. Pitting one lodge against another by encouraging and expecting them to offer additional specials may anger the many resorts whose money also went to pay for the event but will not see any lodging benefit.

Gills,

I didn't realize that the local resorts are already paying for AIM to come to town with their tax payments.

Do you know if they are happy about AIM being there during tourist season? How much did they pay AIM to come to town? I heard AIM was asking $25,000 or more in the past for a town to bring their event.

[Juls]

Originally Posted by Didn't Know

Gills,

I didn't realize that the local resorts are already paying for AIM to come to town with their tax payments.

Do you know if they are happy about AIM being there during tourist season? How much did they pay AIM to come to town? I heard AIM was asking $25,000 or more in the past for a town to bring their event.

Pretty sure Giddy was talking about Chambers in general, and not specifically about the LOW Chamber, or their direct dealings with AIM.

Juls

[I Walleye]

All I know is that every city/region hosting a major event should take a look at what Oconto did last year for the FLW and copy it. Oconto really rolled out the red carpet and made sure the city knew what was going on. My hat is off to them and I will see them again this year.

[GiddyGills]

My comment was more aimed at the mental conception that there needs to be catering delivered to the participants, it was a general statement not solely directed at AIM. In this particular case (for example) Lake of the Woods and Baudette are the customers, not the other way around. The area is paying a sum of money (amount is irrelevant) to receive an event and there needs to be a return on their investment. Each demanded discount or pampering devalues the overall purpose of paying for an event.

Chambers are supported by a self inflicted room taxes, which are to be used to promote tourism that is a benefit to the entire area. Each resort, hotel and motel in the Baudette area pays into the chamber, and to separate what someone feels as tournament friendly resorts is plain wrong. Every business that rents lodging is paying for this event to come to the area and pitting each against their neighbor is not a positive way to promote the sport. I can say this; the number one complaint about tournaments from local businesses is every participant expects discounts just because they came to town. When the city, town or area is paying for an event, the event and participants are not the customers…the city, town or area is.

There are many individuals and families that visit the Lake of the Woods area multiple weeks out of the year who are just as valuable (if not more) to the economy of the area than a tournament participant. Their stomachs are just as important as a tournament participant’s belly, but the regular visitor does not blatantly expect discounts. If they are a frequent customer to certain establishments they may get a discount here or there, but they do not ask or expect it just because they exist.

I feel a wrong message is sent about the sport when this behavior happens, and I can guarantee that many of the businesses see it the same way. There are over 25 lodging facilities who had their room tax money pay to have a tournament come to town, a small portion will see a direct impact from the event…this is where perceptions are made or broken and segregating lodging by declaring any place that does not provide added discounts as “not tournament friendly” will defiantly leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many, especially when it comes from an event they paid for with the hope it promotes tourism. You need them much more than they need you.

Everyone complains when pro anglers are depicted as having large egos…this is the type of behavior and attitude that perpetuates that very persona. Go into it with the mindset that the Lake of the Woods area needs to be totally impressed from the event including every participant and everything will be fine…if you go into it with the mindset that you, as a tournament participant, needs to be pampered…you better keep a very close eye on that canary.

Once tournaments come to grips that they are (in essence) the paid entertainment, they can start formulating themselves as such and become a viable entity that creates a beneficial draw on a consistent basis for any municipality or business that hires them. A change in attitude will take the sport a long way.

[I Walleye]

Thank you for the explanation.